Tennessee surplus funds list
Unclaimed overages from tax deed and foreclosure sales.
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Tennessee surplus funds rules
- Sales that create surplus
- Delinquent property tax sale (chancery court, TCA 67-5-25/27); Non-judicial trustee sale (deed of trust, TCA 35-5); Judicial foreclosure (rare); HOA lien foreclosure
- Who holds the money
- Clerk and Master of the chancery court that ordered the tax sale.
- Unclaimed funds go to
- Remaining excess proceeds are subject to the Uniform Unclaimed Property Act (Title 66 ch. 29); presumption of abandonment does not arise until all filed motions are decided or 1 year after redemption period ends, whichever is later (67-5-2702(c)(5)). Motion can be filed until funds are actually forwarded to the state. (Older law escheated to state if no motion within 67-5-2504(d) period.)
- How owners claim
- Verified motion to claim excess sale proceeds in the chancery court after order confirming sale; serve all interested persons (TRCP 5) at least 30 days before hearing; ownership documents (deed, affidavit of heirship) must be recorded with register of deeds at least 30 days before hearing. Priority: taxing entity, lienholders at sale, post-sale lienholders, then taxpayers who were defendants/heirs. Davidson filing fee $75; Blount $25; funds issued ~30 days after order. — deadline: No fixed statutory bar; effectively until funds remitted to Treasury unclaimed property (no earlier than 1 year after redemption period ends); then claim at ClaimItTN.
- Agent / finder fee cap
- 67-5-2702 has no finder cap (court may allow reasonable fee to delinquent tax attorney/attorney ad litem). After transfer to Treasury: unclaimed-property locator fee cap reportedly 10% (third-party summary; against TCA 66-29). verify
- Waiting period
- None in 67-5-2702 (for 2023/2024 amendments). verify
- Registration
- TN Treasury: locators must be registered with the state; Private Investigation and Polygraph Commission has ruled locators must be licensed private investigators (applies to unclaimed property finder services).
- Getting the list
- No confirmed online list for Davidson or Shelby; request from county Clerk & Master (Davidson: chanceryclerkandmaster.nashville.gov; Shelby County Clerk & Master) or review tax sale confirmation orders/court dockets; county trustee tax sale results show sale prices vs minimum bids. verify
Law: TCA 67-5-2702; TCA 67-5-2504(d); TCA 66-29 (unclaimed property) · confirm details with the county; rules change.
Questions
Is there a free Tennessee surplus funds list?
Counties publish or provide lists on request; Surplus Funds HQ links to the official sources and is adding Tennessee lists.
Who gets surplus funds in Tennessee?
The former owner first (and lienholders in order of priority). The money is held by: Clerk and Master of the chancery court that ordered the tax sale..
What is the recovery agent fee cap in Tennessee?
67-5-2702 has no finder cap (court may allow reasonable fee to delinquent tax attorney/attorney ad litem). After transfer to Treasury: unclaimed-property locator fee cap reportedly 10% (third-party summary; against TCA 66-29).